Modulation of an optical signal facilitates the transmission of optical data from one source or location to another source or location, and this form of communication can be useful for a variety of different applications.
Known systems for modulating an optical signal include the use of multiple quantum well (MQW) modulators, liquid crystal (LC) modulators, or systems employing other techniques in which one or more mirror reflectors are mechanically manipulated or tilted with respect to the incoming signal to achieve a modulation of the signal.
While the techniques described above can be useful for modulating an incoming signal, they are limited in that they can be costly to manufacture and unable to achieve modulation rates at frequencies in the gigahertz range or even greater.
It is desirable to provide an optical modulating device that is easy and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and that provides modulation at high rates (for example, to facilitate use for high bandwidth communications applications).